Forty percent of the $10 million goal of Cal State Northridge's first university-wide capital initiative-called CSUN Rising-already has been raised or pledged, according to Louanne Kennedy, interim president of the university.

CSUN Rising, which will run through this year, marks the end of the university's earthquake recovery period and its reemergence as one of the most modern, state-of-the-art campuses in the nation. With funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) used to construct or repair buildings damaged or destroyed in the 1994 earthquake, gifts to CSUN Rising will be used for equipment, furnishing and structural upgrades for several new campus buildings.

At an announcement ceremony today attended by faculty, students and administration, including Jolene Koester, who will assume her duties as CSUN president in July, President Kennedy noted that a $1.5 million gift from Abbott and Linda Brown was significant both in the amount contributed and in its timing.

"The generous gift from Abbott and Linda Brown has given additional momentum to CSUN Rising," Kennedy said, "and makes us completely optimistic that we will reach or surpass our capital initiative goal."

The $1.5 million gift, made through the Brown's Ridgestone Foundation, will be used to fund the Western Center for Adaptive Aquatic Therapy project at the university's Center of Achievement for the Physically Disabled. The gift is the largest contribution made to date by an alumnus. Linda Brown earned a degree and pursued graduate studies at CSUN.

Also cited as of major importance to the entire CSUN Rising campaign was the allocation of $1 million in appropriated federal funds for the Western Center project. The money was obtained after several years effort by U.S. Representative Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-Santa Clarita).

Other key projects in the CSUN Rising program are:

• A 55,000-square-foot addition to the Art and Design Center that will house video and animation production suites, lecture halls, fine art studios, computer labs, a Visual Arts Resource Center and faculty and administrative offices.
  
  
• A new, 65,000-square-foot Arts, Media and Communication building housing state-of-the-art film and television production facilities screening room , a 120-seat lecture hall, classrooms and faculty and administrative offices.
  
  
• A state-of-the-art Speech, Language and Hearing Center which will operate as part of the Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences and be located in Monterey Hall, which has been redesigned as the university's Community Services Center.
  
  
• A new, 82-000 square-foot building for the College of Health and Human Development that will provide classrooms, offices and teaching facilities for the Department of Family Environmental Sciences and administrative offices for the college, and will house the Marilyn Magaram Center for Food Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics and a Consumer Resource Center.

"CSUN Rising's goals are perfectly in line with the university-wide goal to make the campus more student and community service centered," President Kennedy said. "The success of this campaign will benefit everyone-students, faculty, staff and the entire San Fernando Valley."

California State University, Northridge has more than 27,000 full-time and part-time students and offers 48 bachelor's and 39 master's degrees. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley.